C.H.S CHRONICLES

Hello! I am Jackie Podnar, and I am so excited to be the new Vocal Music and Band Support Teacher!

During my student teaching, I worked with high school band, and middle school band and choir. In 2023, after graduating from Eastern Michigan University and getting my K-12 Music teaching certificate, I was fortunate to join Walled Lake as the elementary Travel Music Teacher at Keith, Commerce, Hickory Woods, and Meadowbrook Elementaries. While my time developing singing voices and steady beat was very meaningful and fun, I really missed teaching middle school. So, in 2024, I shifted to Geisler Middle School as the Band Director. When Geisler closed, Walnut Creek Middle School took me in to teach 7th Grade Vocal Music, 8th Grade Comm Arts, and co-teach 7th Grade Band and 6th Grade Orchestra.

My time in Walled Lake has been exciting, and I really appreciate all the opportunities to connect with the students, staff, and families. I truly cannot wait to being a part of the CHS Middle School Community!

The Special Services Parent Advisory Committee is sponsoring an Inclusion event in an effort to increase awareness of Unified Sports & Unified Champion Schools, further promote inclusion throughout the District, and celebrate Walled Lake Staff.

The highlight of the Inclusion event is a Unified basketball game featuring school administration and school board members supporting our Unified athletes. The event also includes appreciation stations for staff and educational sessions to inform and inspire the school community about the values and impact of Unified Sports.

District Wide Inclusion Week is next week, and it is a time for our school to recognize the important role we all play in supporting students with diverse learning needs. Next week, students are invited to participate in daily themes that promote respect, kindness, and understanding among all students. These themes are intended to remind students that people learn in different ways and that a strong school community values the contributions and strengths of every individual.

Monday, March 23rd

Rock Your Socks for “World Down Syndrome Day”

Wear colorful and/or mismatched socks!

Officially on Saturday, March 21st

Tuesday, March 24th

Tie-Dye Day!

We accept, respect, and include all students

Wednesday, March 25th

Favorite Color Day!

Be yourself and wear your favorite color!

Thursday, March 26th

Pajama Day

Be cozy and comfortable with inclusion

Friday, March 27th

CHS Spirit Day

We are all TROJANS

Dear Families,

Students will be taking the M-STEP shortly. A reminder that the annual M-STEP is an important tool to help us understand how well we are serving students and is an important data point in determining what areas students are doing well in and what areas they need additional support in.

With a limited window for testing, we ask that our families make every effort to have your child in school and on time. Please make sure that your child is going to bed at a reasonable time and has a healthy breakfast prior to coming to school.

Please take the time to discuss the M-STEP with your child before testing begins. We want students to have a balance of understanding that this is an important assessment and an opportunity to show us what they know, however, we do not want our students to feel anxious. We simply ask for their best effort.

Consider exploring the sample test and practice items below with your child at home. You must use Google Chrome for the online samples. The user name and password is provided on the login screen.

The Michigan Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has also put together a helpful guide for parents.

Thank you for your support.

Respectfully,

Nayal Maktari

Dear CHS 8th Grade Families,

Our school has begun the preparation for the upcoming PSAT 8 test on Thursday, April 16th. All of our middle schools in Walled Lake will be testing on this day. It is important that all students are present on test day. Please avoid scheduling doctor, dentist or other appointments on that day.

We will be using district-issued chromebooks for testing that day. If your child has a district-issued chromebook, they will use it on that day. It is important that the chromebook be fully charged. It is also recommended that your child bring their chromebook charger in the event that the chromebook need to be charged during the testing. If your child does not have district-issued chromebook, one will be provided from our chromebook cart that day.

Please note that while all Walled Lake 8th graders will be here for a full day, 6th and 7th graders will have a late start on April 16th. 8th graders will be provided lunch on April 16th, but 6th and 7th graders will not be provided lunch on that day.

Morning Schedule

• 8:00 a.m.-8:05 a.m.-8th Graders arrive
• 8:20 a.m.-11:25 a.m.-Administer the 8th Grade PSAT
• 11:25 a.m.-11:58 a.m.-8th Grade Lunch
• 6th and 7th graders arrive at approximately 11:45 a.m.

Afternoon 1/2 Day Schedule

• 1st Hour 12:05 p.m.-12:30 p.m.
• 2nd Hour 12:35 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• 3rd Hour 1:05 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
• 4th Hour 1:35 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
• 5th Hour 2:05 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• 6th Hour 2:35 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Thank you advance for your time and support as we prepare our 8th graders for this important day!

Please contact Mrs. Julie Braley (8th grade counselor) at JulieBraley@wlcsd.org for any questions related to testing.

Sincerely,

CHS Administrative Team and Counseling Department

The Spring Book Fair will be held April 13th through the 17th. We are need of volunteers to help with set up, sales/cashier, and clean up. Please reach out with any questions. Thank you!

Elizabeth Esmacher is excited to join the Clifford H. Smart Middle School Community as the new 7th and 8th Grade Science Teacher beginning Monday, March 23rd. Elizabeth brings six years of teaching experience from Midland Public Schools and Traverse City Area Public Schools. She is thrilled to be returning to the Middle School classroom after a brief time at Leader in Me.

Outside of school, Elizabeth lives with her husband and their dog, Luna. In her free time, she enjoys watching documentaries, practicing yoga, and spending time outside.

Elizabeth is looking forward to getting to know everyone and being part of our school community!

Dear Clifford H. Smart Community,

The Giving Tree Club and National Honor Society at Walled Lake Central High School are excited to share with you that our Walled Lake Community Wide Make a Blanket Day is officially set for April 18, from 10am-2pm. You can come and join us anytime between then. Our goal this year is 1,000 blankets! We are partnering with Fleece and Thank You to ensure that every child facing an extended stay at the hospital not only receives a comforting fleece blanket, but also receives a personalized message from the person who made the blanket. The patient can also choose to send a video back! This day has historically been a huge and fun event for the whole family, and we would love to have you join us! Purchasing a blanket is not necessary to join the event. We just ask that everyone completes the free registration. Food trucks will be available to purchase food, obstacle courses, face painting, and a team from Mojo in the Morning are all part of this day...with more surprises to come!

Here is a video that helps show just how special this organization is (https://youtu.be/61fJZDjVOIU).

Your school page can be found here:

https://charity.pledgeit.org/t/vdgzvut8on

If you have any questions, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact Nancy Kattoula (NancyKattoula@wlcsd.org) or Amanda Swanson (AmandaSwanson@wlcsd.org).

Thank you so much for your support!

Hello 6th Grade Families,

This week, I presented the course descriptions and registration process to all 6th grade students in their Social Studies class. They received an overview of some new courses to get excited about, as well as the google form that needs to be completed by next week. They had a chance to ask questions about these encore offerings in class, and I will also be available by email or phone if more questions arise.

Below you will find a link to the google form that will be used to collect your child's encore requests for the 2026-2027 school year. The course descriptions are also linked in this form. Please take the time to carefully read through the encore course descriptions with your child as there are a few differences from 6th to 7th grade. Please fill out this google form with your child and submit no later than Friday, March 20th.

Link to google form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1melbcUGpJKafAUHZug9OidA-gfm72O9xrQW1ZXimmhsvVQ/viewform?usp=preview

Thank you!

Kathleen Hoover, CHS Middle School 6th Grade Counselor

KathleenHoover@wlcsd.org

Hello 7th Grade Families!

This week all 7th graders were given the opportunity to attend a course registration meeting through their social studies classes. They received an overview of the google form and encore course descriptions for 8th grade. They also had a chance to ask questions about these encore offerings.

Below you will find a link to the google form that will be used to collect your child's encore requests for the 2026-2027 school year. The course descriptions are also linked in this form. Please take the time to carefully read through the encore course descriptions with your child as there are more offerings for 8th grade. Please fill out this google form with your child and submit no later than Friday, March 20th.

Link to google form:

https://forms.gle/CX6pQR17QaXAETTz8

Thank you!

Maureen Bratke, CHS Middle School 7th Grade Counselor

MaureenBratke@wlcsd.org

Dear CHS Middle School Parents and Guardians,

My name is Logan Meyer and I am one of the CHS Track Head Coaches this season. I also teach Social Studies at CHS Middle School, along with coaching our boy’s and girls’ basketball teams this school year.

Please click on the link below if you have a 6th, 7th, and/or 8th grader that is interested in joining our track team.

Track Google Form Sign up Link CHS Middle School Track and Field Sign-Up

Miscellaneous Information

• Track practices will begin after school and end at 4:45 p.m.
• All track meets start at 4:00 p.m. Once your events are completed, you can go home. Dress for the weather. Bring food and water to the meet. All track members will compete.
• All athletes must have a physical on file in the Main office. If you played another sport at Smart this school year, then you are all set.
• MHSAA Physical Form
• Pay to Participate Information

CHS Track Coaches

Mr. Logan Meyer

Mrs. Amy Monroe

Mr. Kellen Adler

Mr. Jamie Singelyn

Mr. Austin VanLandingham

Mr. Evan Burke

Track and Field Starting Date

• We will begin practicing on Monday, March 23rd.
• The last day of the season is Friday, May 29th.

Track Meet Schedule

Thursday, April 16

Away at Warner Middle School
30303 W 14 Mile Rd
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

Monday, April 20

Away at Sarah Banks MS at Walled Lake Western HS
600 Beck Rd
Walled Lake, MI 48390

Wednesday, April 29

Home vs. Walnut Creek MS at Walled Lake Northern HS

Wednesday, May 6

Away at Millennium and Centennial MS
61526 W 9 Mile Rd
South Lyon, MI 48178

Wednesday, May 13

Home vs. White Lake MS at Walled Lake Northern HS

Wednesday, May 20

LVC Meet at North Farmington High School, starting time TBA
32900 W 13 Mile Rd
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

Thursday, May 28

Oakland County Meet, starting Time 1:00 p.m. at Clarkston HS
6093 Flemings
Clarkston, MI 48346
Admission $6.00 dollars

LVC and Oakland County Meets are qualifying track meets only. Athletes who qualify will go to practice and the meets. The tent will be at the two meets. Bring a chair, water, and food to eat. Students are pulled out early from school.

Busses will take your child to the track meet. Parents will need to pick up their child from the track meet.

Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Logan Meyer

LoganMeyer@wlcsd.org

Special 8th Grade Only Dates:

• PSAT 8 Testing on April 16th

• 8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip June 1st-June 4th
• 8th grade promotion ceremony June 8th at Walled Lake Northern Stadium beginning at 7:00 p.m.

• 8th grade promotion ceremony rain date is June 9th
• Clap Out on June 10th at 11:30 a.m.
• Last day of school is Wednesday, June 10th

A REMINDER THAT OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR CAN BE FOUND IN EACH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

As we continue to focus on creating a positive and productive learning environment for all our students, we wanted to send a friendly reminder about our school dress code. Following the dress code allows us to maintain a respectful and focused atmosphere.

Please take a moment to review the following dress code guidelines:

1. Tops: Shirts must have sleeves (no tank tops or spaghetti straps) and should completely cover the torso.
2. Bottoms: Shorts, skirts, and dresses must be of appropriate length.
3. Hats and hoods: Hats and hoods are not to be worn indoors unless for religious or medical purposes.
4. Accessories: Please avoid bringing blankets, toys or other accessories that could interfere with learning or safety.

We appreciate your support in ensuring that your child follows these guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the dress code, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support!

The 2025-2026 CHS Yearbook is in the works! Make sure to order your copy at https://yearbookforever.com/. Enter our school's name as CH Smart. Yearbooks will be distributed during grade level lunches in June 2026.

For specific information, please contact our yearbook advisor, Katie Kalinowski, at katiekalinowski@wlcsd.org.

Dear 8th Grade Parents,

Please complete the WLN High School Football Interest Survey below if your 8th grade child is interested in playing football in 9th grade. Please direct any questions you have to WLN Head Football Coach Josh Perusse at JoshuaPerusse@wlcsd.org.

Class of 2030 Northern Football Interest Survey – Fill out form

Thank you,

Nayal Maktari

Thanks to all the families who came out for Total Eclipse of the Chart: '80s Chart Toppers Concert. The concert was a symphonic performance of iconic '80s songs that had the audience singing and dancing along!

To sign up for Music Appreciation Club, sign up here (https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626)

Our next Club meet is:

The Sounds of Laurel Canyon: '60s and '70s Concert and Club Meet

• Sat, Mar 14 at Orchestra Hall, Concert at 8pm
• Club Meet will be held 30 mins prior to Saturday's performance at 7:30pm
• Fri, Mar 13 & Sun, Mar 15 concerts are available to students who cannot attend Sat. concert.

Tickets will be available for Soundcard bookings starting March 2nd up until the concert date. Students Soundcard tickets can be booked through visiting or calling the box office 313.576.5111. Do reserve your tickets when they become available as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We are expecting another full house for this concert.

Upcoming concerts where we plan to meet as a group:

• The Sounds of Laurel Canyon: 60s and 70s, Sat, Mar 14 at Orchestra Hall, 8pm
• Songs of America, Sat, May 30 at Orchestra Hall, 8pm

***Your student soundcard membership allows you to attend manv more concerts in addition to the ones listed above. Please consider making the most of your membership and check out all the concerts available to you here: https://www.dso.org/events-and-tickets/calendar?Special+Offers=Soundcard ***

It is not too late to join now! After attending only 1 concert, your student membership will have paid for itself.

Cost: $25 per student membership unlocks one free ticket to almost every Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) 2024-2025 concert series, including the concerts outside of those we plan to meet at, and up to two companion tickets (bring or invite your parents/sibling/friend/teacher) for $5 each, access to the best seats, access to DSO Replay and online Live streaming performances. Carpooling opportunities are available!

Music Appreciation Club Info and registration link (https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626)

Our Music Appreciation Club is back. Please click on the PDF and link below for more information!

You can also click on the QR code to register your child.

If you haven't already, we encourage you to join the Clifford H. Smart PTSA for the 2025-26 school year!

Simply scan the QR code below to visit our website, discover some ways our PTSA enriches our school community, and sign up.

As an added perk, members will receive a digital copy of the school directory.

Thank you for your support!

We need your help. Please make every effort to avoid picking up your child during their lunch hours. It often takes quite a bit of time to locate a student during lunch/recess and pulls staff from their lunchroom supervisory responsibilities.

Excluding emergencies, please avoid picking up your child at the times below for any prescheduled appointments and plans.

6th Grade Lunch 11:18 a.m.-11:48 a.m.

7th Grade Lunch 12: 25 p.m.-12:55 p.m.

8th Grade Lunch 11:53 a.m.-12:23 p.m.

Thank you for your support and help!

Process for requesting service for district issued chromebooks if needed:

1. If a student needs support, he/she should fill out a Student Chromebook Support Form linked on all of the Google Classrooms and on the school website under Students. Being logged on to the school google account is required to access the form.
2. The information in the form will be sent to Mrs. Stasak, our Middle School Computer Resource Teacher. She will reply to the student at his/her school gmail account. She will offer suggestions to fix the issue or, if it needs service, she will tell the student to take the chromebook to the office and give it to Mrs. Wilseck in the main office.
3. The chromebook in the case will be sent through inner office and the student will be allowed to use a loaner chromebook AT SCHOOL. It will be the student’s responsibility to pick it up each morning from the office and return it at the end of the day.
4. When the chromebook has been repaired, it will be delivered back to the school for the student to pick up.
5. If the family purchased insurance, the first repair is free and all additional repairs carry a deductible. Deductible invoices or repair invoices, for those that did not choose insurance, must be paid before the repaired chromebook is returned.

If a student with a personal chromebook has a network issue, the same form can be used. We are not able to fix physical problems with personal devices and loaner chromebooks will not be provided.

Please click on the above tab and join our CHS Middle School Remind 101 text group. You will receive helpful reminders, time sensitive information along with other pertinent texts.

*Reply @LEAVE to the number you are receiving messages from if you'd like to leave the text group at anytime.

Medications are administered at school under the supervision of our office staff. This includes BOTH prescription medications AND over the counter (ibuprofen, pain relievers, etc.) medications. BOTH types of medication require a completed and signed WLCSD medication authorization form by BOTH the parent/ guardian AND the child’s doctor.

For safety and confidentiality reasons, we will not be accepting medications at Smart Start. If you would like to drop off medications and the required documentation prior to the start of the school year, please contact our office secretary, Mrs. Jen Schloegl , directly at 248-956-3512.

As you have questions about this process please contact our main office at 248.956.3500.

Please remember to please call 248.956.3090 for ALL bussing questions. Please click on the link below to visit our transportation website for more information. A reminder that bus passes are not allowed.

Please feel free to call our main office with any questions at 248.956.3500. You can also email us.

Counseling Secretary: JulieSmith@wlcsd.org

Principal's Secretary: MelissaWilseck@wlcsd.org

Building/Attendance Secretary: JenniferSchloegl@wlcsd.org

6th Grade Counselor: KathleenHoover@wlcsd.org

7th Grade Counselor: MaureenBratke@wlcsd.org

8th Grade Counselor: JulieBraley@wlcsd.org

DROP OFF 8:00 A.M.

SCHOOL STARTS 8:10 A.M.

DISMISSAL 3:00 P.M.

1/2 DAY DISMISSAL 11:40 A.M.

Nayal Maktari, Principal

Jake Hess, Assistant Principal

Steve Spickard, Dean of Students

Please contact us with positive or constructive feedback, questions, and/or concerns.

Website: www.wlcsd.org/smart
Location: 8500 Commerce Road, Commerce Charter Township, MI, United States
Phone: 248-956-3500
Twitter: @CliffordSmart